Abstract In recent years, there has been a growing interest towards gastronomic tourism worldwide. The unique gastronomic offerings of a destination are getting a pivotal attraction for travelers. This qualitative research aims to explore the perspectives of Turkish gastronomy influencers on gastronomy tourism considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic through in-depth interviews and provide an assessment the effect of pandemic on gastronomy tourism and explore future trends and potential strategies for the revival of gastronomy tourism after pandemic. Employing the MAXQDA software program, the qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis with systematically condensing extensive text data into organized summaries of key findings. The findings demonstrate an understanding to determine what needs to stay the same and what needs to change after Covid-19 in order to promote the revival of gastronomy tourism. Findings highlights safety and socio-psychological needs of tourists, the role of social media, critics in adaptation to technology, new trends and economic conditions, emphasizing the growing demand for local and authentic experiences. The original aspect of this research is that it presents a holistic perspective by investigating influencers’ views on all aspects and future of gastronomy tourism, considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This study is extracted from a Graduate Thesis titled “Analyzing Gastronomy Influencers' Views About Gastronomy Tourism